Senate beacon on sixth-generation fighter: 'Government to constantly report on financial sustainability'

The Senate turns a spotlight on the sixth-generation fighter aircraft. The Foreign Affairs Committee of Palazzo Madama approved the resolution concluding the affair assigned to the Global Combat Air Programme (Gcap). All in favour except M5S. The programme envisages the design and development of a 'Combat Air System', a sixth-generation fighter aircraft capable of both manned and unmanned operation, integrated in the five operational domains (land, sea, air, cyber and space) and intended to perform strategic roles (air control, surveillance and attack). In addition to Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan are also involved in the development of the project.

The realisation of the programme envisages huge resources. And the investment is multi-decade. The multiannual planning document (DPP) for Defence for the three-year period 2025-2027 envisages the allocation of EUR 624.83 million in 2025, 274.70 million in 2026, 260.70 million in 2027, EUR 1.2 billion in the three-year period 2028-2030 and EUR 7.2 billion in the following years until 2035.

E proprio sul budget si concentra la risoluzione approvata da quasi tutte le forze politiche. «Secondo le indicazioni fornite dal Documento programmatico pluriennale della Difesa per il triennio 2025-27» - si legge nello schema di risoluzione proposto dal relatore Roberto Menia (FdI) alla commissione Esteri a conclusione dell’affare assegnato sul Gcap - per l’Italia il finanziamento assomma «al momento a 9,6 miliardi di euro entro il 2035». La stima complessiva del programma «non ancora quantificabile con precisione a questo livello di attuazione», a carico dei tre Paesi partecipanti, è di «complessivi 50 miliardi di euro», riporta il testo. L’ammontare dei finanziamenti previsti per l’Italia è superiore e più ravvicinato rispetto a quanto previsto dal Dpp 2024-26 della Difesa che indicava 8,9 miliardi di euro al 2050 con stanziamenti di 506 milioni sul 2024

The Public Finance Planning Document 2026-28 envisages an increase in defence spending of around EUR 12 billion over the three-year period, and it will have to be seen whether and how this will lead to a different allocation of appropriations for the Gcap.

In the meantime, the approved resolution commits the government to 'ensure, from the point of view of financial sustainability, for each implementation phase, the continuity of the resources necessary for the full implementation of the project' and to 'involve allied countries potentially interested in joining the programme, in agreement with the other partners'.